Someone Who Loves You
by Keleficent
Summary: Mabel finds herself in an abusive relationship. Her family tries to help her get out of it, but things may go too far before they can save her.
1. Uncertain

**CANDY**

 ** _Mabel can you hang out tonight?_**

 **DIPPER**

 ** _You missed duck-tective…again_**

 **GRUNKLE FORD**

 ** _Mabel, I thought you were going to accompany me to the fairy village today. Is everything alright?_**

 **SOOS**

 ** _Dipper seems really bummed lately I think its cause you dont hang out with him anymore_**

 **GRENDA**

 ** _I cant believe u bailed again if u only care about your boyfriend now just say so_**

 **GRUNKLE STAN**

 ** _where are you mabel? this is the third time u broke curfew u better not be with that boy_**

 **WENDY**

 ** _Dipper said u weren't coming. y not? I told you glenn can come too_**

Guilt bubbled in the pit of Mabel's stomach as she deleted her loved ones concerned messages. She deleted conversations from everyone.

Except for Glenn's.

He had been so sweet at the beginning.

 **GLENN 3**

 ** _Hey its me glenn the guy you gave your number_**

 ** _I had so much fun last nite can we do it again?_**

 ** _Goodnite new girlfriend 3_**

 ** _I don't think your uncle likes me he doesn't understand us_**

 ** _Where were you? I was waiting for you. do u like ur friends better than me?_**

 ** _You have a boyfriend you don't need to talk to other guys_**

 ** _Ur lucky u have me because you act so weird sometimes no other boy would like u_**

 ** _MABEL PLEASE PICK UP THE PHONE IM SO SORRY! :*(_**

 ** _It wont happen again I swear_**

 ** _I know I have problems but ur luv can fix me and I can fix you too_**

 ** _Your not gonna tell anyone right? I'll be in so much trouble if you do_**

 ** _Im sorry about last night but its kinda your fault too I mean you know how I get when I'm mad_**

 ** _I would kill myself if you ever left me mabel I luv you 3_**

Mabel's remembered how her heart fluttered the first time Glenn told her he loved her. Now it weighed heavily on her heart. Because despite everything, she loved him too.

It wasn't like Gideon where she had no romantic interest and simply felt bad about hurting his feelings (before she found out he was a psycho). She had fallen for Glenn. He was so good to her, except when she made him mad.

Glenn loved her weird quirks. Well, most of them…some of them. The ones he didn't like he made her change. But he still loved her despite how weird she was. How can she ever find someone else like that? They needed each other. They both just had to learn to be better.

Mabel promptly put her phone away when Dipper entered their bedroom. She hated having to hide from Dipper. She never had to before. But like Glenn said, he wouldn't understand.

"Oh," Dipper looked surprised to see her. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here, dummy."

"Oh, you still live here?" Dipper snapped at her. "Ugh, I'm sorry, it's just…nothing."

Dipper sat on his bed and opened a book. Mabel hoped he wouldn't follow up his snippy comment, but she could tell when Dipper was fake reading. He wasn't done yet.

"I just figured you'd be with Glenn."

Mabel's throat constricted like it always did when people questioned her relationship with Glenn. "I'm not with him every second of the day."

Dipper snorted. "Seriously? You pretty much are."

"Well, he's my boyfriend. I have to spend time with him." Or he'll get mad.

"Yeah, but I'm your brother. You never spend any time with me. You never spend time with anyone but Glenn anymore." Dipper snapped his book shut.

Mabel knew he was right, but she didn't back down. She approached him with a confrontational demeanor. "Why can't you just be happy for me? Because no one loves you?"

Crap. She hadn't meant to say that. She didn't mean to say that. She was surprised how quickly Dipper's expression went from shock to hurt to anger.

"Whatever, Mabel, I don't care."

"Dipper, I didn't mean…"

"I don't care! Just leave me alone!"

Dipper shoved Mabel away from him and she fell back on the edge of her bed. She let out of cry of pain.

"Oh my gosh, Mabel, I'm so sorry!" Dipper hadn't meant to hurt her. He didn't even push her that hard. She was clutching her back in pain. Her eyes were watering too. There was no way his light shove could have caused this big of a reaction. Maybe she fell on a loose nail or something.

"Here, let me see." Dipper lifted her sweater to inspect her back for injuries. She smacked him away more vicious than he's ever seen her. "Mabel, I'm sorry I pushed you. I need to make sure you're okay. Let me check your back."

"No!" Mabel wrapped her arms around her sweater to preemptively stop any attempt to remove it.

"Fine." Dipper figured she wasn't cooperating because she was mad at him. "I'll find Stan or Ford. They can check."

"NO!" Mabel bolted up and put herself in between Dipper and the door. She threw her arms out so he couldn't pass. "I'm fine, Dipper. Really, I am. Don't tell them about this."

Now Dipper knew something was wrong. "What are you hiding from me, Mabel?"

"Nothing," Mabel said a little too quickly.

"Mabel, either you show me your back or I'm gonna get Stan and Ford to make you show it."

She didn't want to show Dipper, but if she didn't, he'll tell on her to their uncles. And then she'll have to show all three of them. Reluctantly, Mabel turned around and lifted her sweater so Dipper could see her back.

"Oh my god. Mabel, what…" Whatever Dipper was expecting, it wasn't this. Mabel's back was covered in bruises. There was no way he caused that. He grabbed Mabel's sweater and took it off her. It revealed more bruises on her arms and torso. "Who did this to you?"

"Just drop it, Dipper, please."

"Drop it? Somebody hurts my sister and you want me to drop it? Look at you! What kind of monster would do this?"

"Glenn's not a…" Mabel put her hands over her mouth. She said too much.

"Glenn? Glenn did this to you?" The way her eyes dropped the floor told Dipper everything. "I'm gonna kill him."

"Dipper, don't overreact."

"Overreact? Your ex-boyfriend beats you up and…"

"First of all, he's not my ex, second-"

"Whoa, whoa, wait, you're still seeing him? Are you crazy?"

"You don't understand, he's trying to get better. He's always sorry after he-"

"He's done this before? And you're still in love with him?"

"Yes…no…I don't know." Mabel put her hands over her face.

"I'm sorry, Mabel, but I can't let him get away with this." Dipper went around Mabel to get to the door.

"No, Dipper, please don't go!" Mabel grabbed his arm to stop him.

"I'm not gonna stand by and let him keep hurting you! What if he hurts you worse next time, Mabel?"

"I don't care."

"YOU DON'T CARE? HOW COULD YOU NOT CARE? WHY ARE YOU STAYING WITH HIM?"

"BECAUSE HE SCARES ME, DIPPER!" Mabel sobbed still clinging desperately to Dipper's arms. "Please don't make him mad, Dipper. I don't want him to hurt you too. Please, Dipper."

Dipper watched in shock and pity as Mabel broke down in his arms. He's seen Mabel cry plenty of times. She was a sensitive girl. But he had never seen her like this before; just completely broken. What had this creep done to his sister? How could he not have seen it?

"I'm sorry for yelling at you, Mabel. I just got scared seeing you hurt like that." Dipper wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "You can't keep seeing him, Mabel. You know that, right?"

"I know, I know. I just…I don't know what to do."

"It's okay, Mabel. You don't have to do it alone."

"You can't break up with him for me."

"Don't worry, I've learned my lesson about breaking up with my sister's crazy boyfriends."

Mabel chuckled. She wished she could go back to a time when Gideon being too much of a nice guy was her biggest problem in her life.

"This is something you have to do, but you don't have to do it alone." Dipper pulled away so they could face each other while keeping his hands on her shoulders. "I've got a plan. Ask Glenn to come see you in a public place, maybe Greasy's Diner. You can break up with him there. He can't hurt you if there are people around. And I'll be with you too."

"I don't know, Dipper."

"Trust me, Mabel. We'll get this jerk out of your life forever." She still looked uncertain. Dipper figured she was probably just worried he'll turn violent. "You have nothing to worry about. Everything's gonna be okay."

Dipper hugged her certain that his plan was foolproof. Mabel wasn't so sure. Uncertainty still lingered in her heart. But her brother was right, this needed to end. She knew that.

But knowing that won't make doing it any easier.


	2. Mixed Feelings

Mabel hoped that the Greasy's Breakfast for Dinner Pancake Special would help calm her nerves. But when Lazy Susan set it down on the table in front of her, she felt repulsed at the idea of putting that in her already rolling stomach. So, she didn't touch her fork or knife. She instead kept her hands folded on the table in front her.

She looked at the empty booth in front her. Any minute now, Glenn will be in that booth sitting across from her, and she'll have to tell him to his face that she no longer wanted to see him. Even here in a public diner surrounded by patrons and Dipper sitting next to her wasn't enough to put her at ease.

"Hey," Dipper put his hand over both of hers. "You have nothing to worry about. He can't do anything here."

She wished it was as simple as being afraid of Glenn. But she had many feelings towards Glenn. Feelings that contradict each other. Feelings that made her unsure if she really wanted to do this.

"Maybe you'd feel better if Stan or Ford was here," said Dipper.

"I don't think that's a good idea. I'm trying to break up with Glenn, not get him murdered." Mabel knew her overly-protective Grunkles would not take kindly to Glenn's treatment of her.

"I wouldn't mind. Kidding! I'm kidding, I swear." Dipper patted his sister's back. "Either way, after tonight, Glenn will be out of your life for good."

Mabel was relieved at the idea of Glenn being out of her life. But she was also terrified. She was also happy. She was also sad. How has she not exploded from the cauldron of turmoil within her?

She felt an alarming pressure rising from her stomach. Maybe she was going to explode. "I have to go to the bathroom."

Before Dipper could respond, Mabel bolted for the restroom. She kept her hand over her mouth to keep the bile from escaping before she could find the proper place of disposal.

She tried to open the door of the ladies' room only to find the single stall was locked indicating it was occupied. She didn't have time to wait, so went out the back door of the restaurant. Once she was outside, she vomited all over the grass.

She had to pull herself together. She had to be strong. But she's never felt less strong in her life. Glenn made her feel many things; strong was not one of them.

"Mabel?"

Her heart stopped. They were supposed to meet inside the diner. Why did he come around back? "Glenn?"

"I saw you throw up. Are you sick? Do you need me to carry you home?"

Aww, what a sweet…

No! She can't let herself get sucked in again. "No, I'm feeling better now. Let's go inside."

"I don't wanna go to some gross diner. The food's bad for you anyway. That's probably why you threw up. I told you to stop eating stuff like that."

"We don't have to eat. We can just sit and talk."

"Talk about what?"

"Y…you know…stuff."

Glenn narrowed his eyes. She knew that look. He was getting angry. "Why is your brother here?"

Mabel's breath hitched. "Is…is he in there? I didn't even notice."

"You were sitting with him. I saw you."

Mabel went white as a sheet. Not only had Glenn caught her in a lie, he must have been watching her from a distance. He must have waited until she was alone.

"Why are you lying to me, Mabel?"

Mabel tensed up at his accusatory tone. She can't get him angry. "Let's…let's just go inside and talk. I'll explain everything."

"I think this is a conversation we should have in private." Glenn grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the forest.

"No…I…want to go inside. I'm hungry." Mabel tried to pull him back without struggling too hard. Fighting him only made him madder.

"You just threw up."

"I know…I…I emptied my stomach, and I need more food."

"I told you not to eat that stuff anymore." Glenn shoved her harder towards the woods. Mabel was too afraid to resist.

"Please, Glenn, Dipper's waiting for me…us."

"I don't want to talk in front of your brother. I'm your boyfriend. Whatever you have to say, you can say it to me."

She looked back at the diner praying that Dipper or anyone will come out and stop these two kids from going into the woods by themselves. But no one came outside and Mabel was led deep into the forest until the trees became too thick to see the diner anymore.


	3. The Grunkles Find Out

The elder Pines twins were watching TV together when Stan's phone rang from the other room.

"Hey, Ford, can you get that?"

"But, Stanley, it's the wedding scene!"

"I know, that's my favorite part."

"Come on, Stanley, you're the one who's seen The Duchess Approves already. It's only fair that I get to stay here and watch it."

"Ugh, fine." Stan got up from his chair.

Just as he was about to pick up the phone, he heard Ford yelling from the other room. "Count Lionel! How dare you show your face! You had your chance at the cotillion!"

The caller ID said Dipper. Stan pressed the answer button and put the phone to his ear. "This better be good."

"Grunkle Stan, Mabel's missing."

"Wait, what? What are you talking about?"

"She was at Greasy's Diner with me. She left to go to the bathroom. That was an hour ago. She's not answering my texts either."

"Kid, you know how Mabel's been lately. She probably ditched you to be with her boyfriend. Join the club."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"What do you mean?" There was silence on the other end. "Dipper, if Mabel's in trouble, you gotta tell me."

"Glenn…Glenn's been abusing her."

The words hit Stan like an oncoming car. That little bastard had been hurting his Mabel? It was no secret he didn't like Glenn, but he never thought… "How bad?"

"There were bruises all over her. She looked horrible."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Stan asked angrily.

"She didn't want you to know. I thought I could handle it." Dipper's voice quivered with guilt. "She was supposed to break up with Glenn tonight. I was gonna be with her, but then she disappeared and…"

"What, Dipper? What is it?"

"I just have a bad feeling, Grunkle Stan. She's with him, I know it. I'm worried she's gonna get hurt."

"Stay where you are. Me and Ford are coming. And Dipper…" Stan was upset that Dipper kept this from him, but he could tell even over the phone that Dipper felt guilty about it. He saw no reason to make Dipper feel worse. Besides, he had another boy to direct his fury at. "We'll find her."

"Yeah…yeah." Dipper took Stan's reassurance like a drowning man would desperately take in air. "Hurry, Grunkle Stan."

Stan hung up and went to get Ford.

"Oh good, you're back. Things are starting to heat up now that Count Lionel…" Ford stopped when he saw his brother's face. He stood up. Something was wrong. "What happened?"

"We have to go into town. I'll explain on the way."

"Is it the kids? Are they alright?"

Stan muttered under his breath, "God, I hope so."


	4. An Accident

Since Glenn was such a recluse, no one knew where he liked to hang out. The only place he could be tied to was the trailer he lived in outside of town. Dipper, Stan, and Ford were hiding behind said trailer waiting for Glenn to show up. They hoped maybe all those times Mabel disappeared with Glenn, they went here. And maybe he'll bring her here now.

Although, it's hard to imagine why any boy would bring his girlfriend here. The trailer was almost completely rusted on the outside and had moss and weeds growing around it. The inside wasn't much better judging from the few glimpses they got when Glenn's drunk father would stumble in and out of the trailer. They decided against questioning him about Glenn's whereabouts. He didn't seem like the type to be engaged in his son's life.

After nearly an hour of waiting, they finally saw a teenage boy emerge from the woods.

"There he is," Dipper growled.

"But Mabel's not with him," said Stan.

"Maybe she went home as well," said Ford.

They noticed something off about Glenn's behavior. He kept looking around as though he feared someone was following him. He was hunching over and had his head down like he was ashamed about something. Most alarming were his eyes: they were shell-shocked like he had witnessed something horrific.

"He seems distressed," Ford noted.

"Oh, I'll give him a reason to be distressed," Stan said as he cracked his knuckles. He rushed out of their hiding place towards Glenn. "Hey, kid!"

Upon seeing an angry, papa-wolf Stan, Glenn did what any rational person would do: he fled.

"Don't let him get away!" Ford shouted.

The three of them chased Glenn back into the woods. Dipper, who had the advantage of his youth, outran his elderly uncles. He was hot on Glenn's tail. When he was close enough, Dipper made a leap for Glenn and tackled him to the ground. "I got him! I got him!"

"Get off me, you weirdo." Glenn tried to push Dipper off, but the smaller boy kept an iron grip on him. It was only a few seconds before Stan and Ford caught up.

"Good work, Dipper," said Ford.

"Get up, you little punk!" Stan grabbed the boy by the shirt and pulled him to his feet before pinning him against a tree.

"Let go of me, you psycho!" Glenn screamed.

"You're calling us psychos after what you did to Mabel?" Dipper hissed.

Glenn's face went white. "You know?"

"Yes, we know," said Ford. "And we won't allow it to continue any longer."

"Where's Mabel now?" Stan asked. Glenn's lip trembled and his eyes started to water. If he thought crying would win him any sympathy, he was sorely mistaken.

"Where's Mabel, Glenn?" Dipper's patience was also wearing thin.

"I…I'm sorry. It was an accident…"

"Accident? ACCIDENT?" Stan gave him a hard slap across the face. "Me dropping Dipper's toothbrush in the toilet is an accident-"

"Wait, what?" said Dipper.

"-beating up a little girl is not an accident. It's sick."

"We're going to ask you one more time…" said Ford. "Where is Mabel?"

"Mabel…she's…she's…"

"Spit it out!" Stan snapped.

Glenn looked up at the three of them with tear-filled eyes. They all thought Glenn was only crying to worm his way out of trouble. But no one was this good of an actor. His eyes were red and puffy, and snot was coming out of his nose. He shut his eyes and took a shuddering breath before finally giving his answer.

"Mabel's dead."


	5. Don't Believe It

The forest was unnaturally quiet like the whole world had stopped. For the Pines family, it might as well have.

"No," Dipper's unsteady voice cut through the silence. "He's lying. She can't be…he's lying."

Stan looked into Glenn's eyes. Being a con man, he not only knew how to tell a lie but how to tell when someone was lying to him. "He's not…he's not lying, Dipper."

Ford pushed Stan aside so he could grab Glenn and toss him to the ground. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?"

"We were fighting. I…I pushed her, and she hit her head on a rock. I tried to wake her up, but she didn't…I couldn't…"

"YOU BASTARD!" Ford pulled out his gun and took aim at Glenn.

"No, please, no…please don't, I'm sorry. Please…"

"You killed her." Tears spilled from Ford's eyes even as they glared with hatred at Glenn. "You killed Mabel."

"I know, I would give anything to take it back, but I can't." Glenn stared up at the gun with terrified eyes. "Please don't shoot me."

"Ford, don't do this," Stan said pushing aside his own anger and grief to talk his brother down.

"He killed her. He killed her, Stanley." The gun shook in Ford's hands.

"I know what he did. He'll pay for what he did, I promise you that. But you know this isn't right. He's still just a kid."

"He took her away. He took her from us." Ford's whole body was trembling now. "I loved her. I loved her so much."

"I love her too. That's why I can't let you do this. Because Mabel wouldn't want this."

Ford knew his brother was right; Mabel wouldn't want this. He couldn't dishonor her memory by committing murder in her name. Regardless of what Glenn had done, Ford couldn't kill a young boy crying and begging for his life.

Stan pushed Ford's arms down and took the gun from his hand with no resistance.

Now that his brother had been brought to his senses, Stan turned his attention back to Glenn. "Take us to her."

"Dipper…" Ford felt sick imagining what his niece's body will look like when they find her. He wanted to spare Dipper from having to see it as well. "I think you should go home."

"I'm going with you."

Stan let out a sigh. "Kid, I don't want you to see-"

"I won't believe it until I see her. I need to see her."

The elder Pines twins exchanged a sad look. They weren't going to talk Dipper out of this. They didn't bother to try.

The four of them marched silently as Glenn led the Pines to Mabel. The three of them were trying to mentally prepare themselves for what they were going to find. But they could never be ready to see the lifeless body of the girl they loved so dearly.

"We're almost there," said Glenn.

Stan felt faint and nearly pitched forward but was caught by Ford and Dipper. "I can't do this. I can't…I can't…"

"Stanley," Ford took his brother's hand. "We have to go."

Stan nodded and composed himself. Ford kept a firm hold on his hand while Dipper took the other. They held on to each other tight.

After walking a few more feet, Glenn stopped in his tracks and gasped. Before any of them could ask what the holdup was, Glenn took off.

"Hey!" The three of them chased after him. But they didn't need to run far; Glenn stopped again. He was staring wide-eyed at the ground like he expected a killer prairie dog to pop out and attack.

"What's the big idea, kid?" Stan asked angrily.

"Mabel…she's supposed to be here."

"Wait, what?" Dipper was trying to process the implications of what Glenn was saying. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. Look, there's the rock she hit." Glenn pointed to said rock and it was, in fact, covered with blood.

"If she's not here, then she's gotta be…" Stan was afraid to say it out loud and jinx it.

Ford didn't dare get his hopes up. There was always a possibility that someone found her body first or an animal dragged away her remains to eat. He looked around for clues, and his heart nearly stopped when he found a bloody footprint in the grass. It wasn't a detailed impression. Only thin lines of blood shaping it. But the outline was detailed enough for Ford to determine one important fact.

It was small, the same size as Mabel's.

Which meant that…

"She's alive."


	6. Crossed a Line

Mabel was led deep into the forest until the trees became too thick to see the diner anymore.

After twenty minutes of walking, she could feel her phone vibrating in her pocket. She knew it must have been Dipper asking where she was. She only hoped Glenn wouldn't notice…

"Your phone's blowing up." Glenn's voice was dripping with suspicion and jealousy like it always did when she communicated with anyone but him. "Who is it?"

Having no other choice, Mabel took out her phone and checked her messages:

 **DIPPER**

 **You okay? You've been gone awhile.**

 **DIPPER**

 **Lazy Susan said you're not in the bathroom. Where'd you go?**

 **DIPPER**

 **Mabel, please answer. I'm getting worried.**

 **DIPPER**

 **Are you with Glenn right now? Tell the truth. I won't get mad. I promise.**

"Why would he get mad?" She was startled to find Glenn looking over her shoulder as she read her messages. She didn't know why she was surprised. He always did that.

"He's probably just mad that you...that I ditched him."

"I'll take care of this." Glenn took the phone from her hand. He would often reply to messages for her (often untruthful replies), especially when it was her friends and family asking where she was. "I'll tell him you're not with me so he'll leave you alone. I knew that twerp didn't like me."

"Hey, don't call my brother a…" Mabel's words died in her throat. Another message came on her phone and as Glenn read it, a look of rage came on his face.

"What's this?" Glenn put the phone right in front of her face so she could read the message.

 **DIPPER**

 **Good. Mabel, please don't back out. I know you're nervous, but trust me. Breaking up with Glenn is the right decision.**

"You were gonna break up with me?"

Mabel trembled in fear. She had never seen Glenn this angry. "Glenn…Glenn, please…"

Glenn threw Mabel's phone on the floor shattering it pieces. He then lunged at Mabel and pinned her to the ground. "AFTER EVERYTHING I'VE DONE FOR YOU? YOU WERE GOING TO LEAVE ME? YOU UNGRATEFUL BITCH!

"Glenn, stop, you're scaring me." Mabel tried to turn her head away but he grabbed her face and made her look at him.

"YOU SAID YOU LOVED ME!" Glenn slapped her face hard enough to make her lip bleed. He never struck her face before. He knew she couldn't hide facial bruises. "YOU LYING WHORE!"

"I wasn't lying. I do love you." Mabel was crying now. "But…I can't do this anymore Glenn. Dipper knows now and we can't-"

"Dipper…this was his idea, wasn't it?"

"Glenn, please, this isn't healthy for either of us. We need to…"

"Shut up, Mabel. You can't leave me. We're meant for each other." Glenn got off her and walked back in the direction they came.

"Glenn, where are you going?" Mabel shakily stood up.

"Your brother's the cause of all this."

"What are you going to do to my brother?"

"I won't let anyone take you away from me. Not your brother, not anyone."

Glenn felt someone grab his arm and before he knew it, he found himself thrown to the ground. He saw Mabel panting and glaring at him. "Mabel, what the hell?"

"I did so much for you, Glenn. I lied for you, I stopped seeing my friends and family for you, I let you use me as your punching bag! I let you hurt me over and over again!" Mabel's voice shook with raw emotion. "But I will never, ever let you hurt my brother!"

"You little…" Glenn got up and tried to lunge for her again. She learned from Grunkle Stan that when it comes to a real fight, you have to fight dirty.

With all her might, she threw up her leg and kicked him in the balls.

He gave a high-pitched squeak and doubled over in pain. "You crazy bitch," he said in a humorous falsetto voice.

"You're right, I am crazy…for ever being with you. We're done, Glenn."

Glenn surprised her by standing up and pushing her down, but instead of landing in the soft grass like last time, her head hit something hard.

She blacked out before she could hear Glenn begging her to get up.


	7. It's Okay

The way her brain was painfully pulsating made Mabel want to slip back into oblivion, but a powerful instinct told her that falling back asleep was not a good idea and she needed to get up.

As she sat up and rubbed her head, she realized she was bleeding. She was bleeding a lot. She told herself not to panic, to stop the bleeding. She took off her sweater and wrapped it around her head wincing as she tied it tightly over her wound.

Glenn was no longer with her and she wondered if he went to find help for her. She didn't want to believe Glenn would leave her to die, but he had his phone, he could have called someone and stayed with her.

She had to get help herself. Since Glenn smashed her phone, she would have to walk back to town. She unsteadily rose to her feet. Just standing up taxing enough. How was she going to make it home?

She had to try. Despite her entire body protesting any sort of movement, she pressed on. She headed towards town thinking of all the people who cared about her, how devastated they would be if she never came back. She's let her friends and family down so many times. She had to get back to them. She had to make it up to them.

But it wasn't easy. Her head felt heavier than the rest of her body and the force of gravity was pushing it towards the ground. She was having trouble keeping her eyes open too. Everything looked fuzzy and distorted and it made her want to throw up.

It wasn't long before her balance was completely lost. She stumbled around trying to regain her footing, but the world was spinning around her making it difficult to tell which way her feet were even supposed to be.

Pain ricocheted inside her skull like a bullet as her head hit the ground. She tried to push herself back up but her arms kept collapsing under her.

She wasn't getting back up. She was done for. There was nothing she could do but lay on the ground crying as she awaited death.

She had no one to blame but herself. She knew what Glenn was doing to her was wrong, but she made excuses for him because she was too much of a coward to leave him. Now, Glenn had gone too far and finally killed her.

After all she had gone through, he abandoned her when she needed him most. Glenn probably thought she was dead and decided to not tell anyone to avoid getting in trouble. He gave up on her, didn't even try to save her.

If it had been Dipper or Stan or Ford or Grenda or Candy or Wendy or anyone else she cared about, they would have tried to save her. The person who claimed to love her more than anybody had left her to rot in the woods.

Her tears flowed harder as she thought about all her loved ones she was leaving behind and how sad they'll be when she's gone. Then again, she's been a horrible friend lately, a horrible niece, a horrible sister. Dipper will be so angry at her for leaving the diner with Glenn. Maybe they won't miss her that much. Maybe they all hated her now. Mabel couldn't blame them.

Mabel was shivering violently now. It was the middle of summer so there was no way it was the weather making her cold. She must be dying.

There was a chance that her body will be found later. She used her finger to write a message in the dirt: I'm sorry. I love you.

She wished she could write the names of all the people she intended the message to be for, but consciousness was slipping away from her and she was feeling even colder now. She curled up into the fetal position. She wrapped her arms around herself just to have the feeling of being held. She wished she had someone to hold her as she died.

Then, she heard it. Distant voices were calling her name.

"Mabel!" Dipper.

"Mabel!" Grunkle Stan.

"Mabel!" Grunkle Ford.

It was her family.

She tried to yell back but she was too weak. She waited in anticipation praying they'll find her.

"Oh my god, Mabel!" She breathed a sigh of relief as Dipper's voice came from right behind her. "Grunkle Stan! Grunkle Ford! I found her!"

She heard Dipper running towards her before she was gently picked up as he held her in his arms.

"Mabel?" Dipper smiled in relief to see his sister awake and looking up at him.

"Dipper…" Mabel said in a small raspy voice that was so unlike her own. She pressed herself into her brother's chest relishing his warmth and comfort.

"Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford are coming. Just hold on." Dipper took her hand as tears spilled out his eyes.

"Dipper, I'm sorry for leaving the diner…"

"Shh, I don't care." Dipper pressed his forehead against hers. His tears fell on her face. "I don't care, Mabel. You're safe, that's all the matters."

Two more rapid footsteps came towards them and her teary-eyed uncles appeared by her side.

"Oh, Mabel…thank goodness," Ford said breathlessly.

"Mabel…oh, pumpkin…" Stan couldn't even articulate his relief.

"Grunkle Stan," Mabel thought about all the fights she had with Stan over breaking curfew. "I'm sorry I was bad. I'm sorry…"

"Shh, it's okay, pumpkin." Stan gently cupped her face. "Don't worry about it, honey. Just take it easy."

Ford looked at the sweater wrapped around her wound. She was smart enough to keep from bleeding out, but she still needed immediate medical attention. "We need to get her to a doctor."

Stan took Mabel from Dipper's arms and hoisted her up. "We're gonna get you patched up, sweetie. You're gonna be okay."

Mabel buried her face into Stan's shirt feeling safe in his arms and knowing Dipper and Ford were near. She didn't have to worry anymore. Her family was here to take care of her. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she'll be okay.


	8. Nothing but the Best

Mabel stared up at her bedroom ceiling. She finally had a moment alone since coming home from the hospital. She just needed some time to think. She thought about Glenn, about how everything went so wrong, about how she almost lost everything because of him. The bandages wrapped around her head served as a mark of shame of how she foolishly let things go too far.

There was a knock on the door. Although Mabel thought she wanted to be alone, she was grateful for the interruption from her solitude. "Come in."

The door opened to reveal her visitor to be Ford. "Hello, Mabel, honey. Are you doing okay?"

Mabel shrugged. "I guess."

"Well, I have something that might cheer you up." Ford approached her bed and pulled something out of his pocket. It was her phone, fully repaired.

Mabel bolted up from her bed. "My phone! You fixed it?"

"Yep." Ford beamed and gave the phone to her.

Mabel gave Ford a hug. "Thank you, Grunkle Ford."

"Now, you can get back in touch with your friends." Her face fell when Ford said this. "What's wrong? Don't you want to see your friends?"

"No, I do. It's just…will they want to see me?"

"Of course they will. They love you."

"But I was such a bad friend. I kept ignoring them and blowing them off."

"Mabel, you were trapped in a bad situation that you couldn't get out of. I'm sure they'll understand."

Mabel let out a sad sigh. "But I don't even understand."

"Understand what?"

"I don't understand why I let that happen to me. I'm such an idiot."

"You are not, Mabel. It happens to a lot of people." Ford sat on the bed next to her. "It even happened to me."

"It did? You were in an abusive relationship? With who?"

"Bill."

"Bill? You mean you and Bill…?"

"No, no, it wasn't that kind of relationship. Though if it were up to me at the time…" Ford trailed off as a look of hurt and regret came to his eyes. He quickly shook it off telling himself it was about Mabel, not him. "The point is, I understand what you're going through."

Ford patted his lap to signal Mabel to sit on it. She complied and sat in Ford's lap and hugging him. "He made you feel good about yourself. He made you feel like you were special. And when you grow up ostracized by your peers, that kind of flattery is addictive."

She looked up at him shocked on how on point Ford was. He continued. "That's why you forgave him when he hurt you because you believed you were important to him."

Mabel sniffed and cast her eyes downward. Ford put his hand under his chin to lift her head and make eye contact with her. "But Mabel, someone who loves you would never hurt you that way."

Mabel leaned against his chest. A few tears slipped out of her eyes. "I just feel so ashamed."

"You don't have to. Like I said, plenty of people fall victim to-"

"I still miss him," Mabel said quietly like she was in a church confessional. "After everything that's happened, I still miss him."

Mabel looked up at her uncle with tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "What's wrong with me, Grunkle Ford?"

"Nothing's wrong with you. It's okay to miss someone even if they treated you poorly."

"Do you ever miss Bill?"

Ford stiffened at the question. He thought about the times they played chess together, talked about new scientific breakthroughs, romanticized about the future they will have as partners. He's never confessed this to anyone, not even to himself. "Yes, I do miss him. I miss the person I thought he was."

Ford held her close and rested his chin at the top of her head. "But then I learned who Bill really was and knew what we had couldn't continue. You may miss Glenn for a very long time. You'll miss the person you thought he was."

"But Mabel…" Ford cradled her face and lifted her head to meet her watery eyes once again. "You need to realize that you deserve so much better. Nothing but the best. The man who has the privilege of having your love should treat you like nothing less than a princess."

Mabel gave a shaky laugh. "If I'm a princess, does that make you my brave knight?"

"If it pleases thy lady, it would be my honor to be thy brave knight," Ford said in a theatrical Shakespearian tone as he tickled her belly.

Mabel giggled and jumped up from Ford's lap. She rifled through her toys in search for her magic wand. She put the tip of the wand on Ford's shoulder. "Then, I hereby dub thee Sir Grunkle Ford: thy protector of thy Princess Mabel!"

Ford played along and kneeled on the floor. "I shan't let you down, my lady. I shall always protect my princess."

"I know you will, Sir Grunkle Ford." Mabel jumped into his arms. They both hugged each other and laughed. "Thanks, Grunkle Ford."

"Anytime, sweetheart." Ford kissed her cheek. "Oh, I forgot. I was supposed to ask if you wanted to come downstairs and watch Duck-tective. Dipper said he taped all the episodes you missed."

"Yeah. I'll be downstairs in a minute. There's something I need to do first."

"Okay, I'll see you downstairs." Ford left the room and Mabel was alone once more.

She picked up her newly repaired phone and searched through her contacts until she found Glenn's name. She pressed the message button and began to type.

 **MABEL**

 **Glenn, this is my final message before I say goodbye to you for good.** Y **ou were an abusive jerk, and I wish I had never met you. I'll always hate you for what you did. I hope you grow old and die alone.**

Mabel's finger hovered over the send button. She considered it a moment before erasing the entire message and starting again.

 **MABEL**

 **Glenn, this is my final message before I say goodbye to you for good.** **Even though we had some good times, I will never go back to you. I hope you get the help you need to become a better person and find love someday. I wish you nothing but the best. Goodbye forever. -Mabel**

Mabel took a deep breath before sitting send. She felt like all the power Glenn had over her was finally gone. She was free.

She went downstairs to join her family. As she did, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She looked at the caller ID. It was Glenn. She swiped across the screen and pulled up three options: answer, decline, or block. She pressed the block button.

She was greeted by Stan and Dipper when she entered the living room. She sat on the floor in front of Stan next to Dipper.

"I hope you're ready, Mabel," said Dipper. "Things really heat up this season."

"Then what are you sitting there yapping for? Play it!" said Mabel.

Dipper chuckled and pressed play. He put his arm around Mabel. He's never done that while watching TV before. Mabel rested her head on his shoulder.

She felt someone affectionally rubbing the top of her head. She turned around to see Stan grinning at her. "It's good to have you back, pumpkin."

"It's good to be back, my brave knights."

"Uh, what?" Dipper asked.

"Nothing." Mabel looked back at Ford who was sitting in a chair next to Stan. She gave him a knowing smile and he reciprocated with a wink.

It really was good to be back.


End file.
